A Parent's Bond
by Leo's gurl
Summary: When an escaped convict takes their daughter hostage for revenge, Gage and Sydney must find a way to save their daughter before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Mindy, it's time to get up!" cried Sydney into the darkened bedroom of her seven year old daughter. Grumbling, Mindy burrowed deeper into her blankets and muttered under her breath. Smiling, Sydney turned on the light and walked over to her daughter's frilly pink bed.

"Come on sweety, if you don't get a move on, your daddy is going to eat your breakfast." she said grabbing the covers and throwing them off of the bed. There, underneath the covers lay seven year old Mindy Gage. With her long black hair and sapphire blue eyes, there was no denying that she was the daughter of Francis and Sydney Gage. Sitting up, Mindy rubbed the sleep from her eyes and gave her mom a smile.

"I thought daddy didn't eat breakfast. Just coffee and doughnuts." This got a chuckle out of Sydney and she wrapped her daughter in a warm embrace.  
"I know but what if your breakfast _is _doughnuts and coffee." Mindy gave her mother a nasty look.

"You made me coffee and doughnuts? Yuk!" she said crossing her arms in front of her and sticking out her tongue. Sydney shook her head and pushed some stray hair from her daughter's eyes.

"I was kidding. But I was serious when I said that you need to be ready in fifteen minutes." she said kissing Mindy's forehead. Mindy giggled and rubbed her nose against her mom's.

"What ever you say mommy." Smiling, Sydney gave her daughter a quick hug before taking her leave and making her way downstairs. As soon as she was alone, Mindy quickly jumped out of bed and made her way over to her white dresser. Opening the second drawer, Mindy pulled out a black shirt with red polka dots. Then, opening up her third drawer, Mindy found a pair of zebra stripe pants.

"I'm gonna look so cool!" she said excitedly. She then began to change into her "cool" outfit.

Meanwhile, Sydney had made it downstairs and into the kitchen when the smell of smoke greeted her. Turning her attention towards the stove, Sydney noticed a smoking pan on the front burner. Muttering under her breath, Sydney quickly pulled the burning pan and all of its contents off the burner and quickly threw it in the sink. Turning on the cold water, Sydney watched as steam poured from the cooling pan. Once the pan was cool, Sydney shut off the water and shook her head in disbelief.

'I am so gonna kill that man.' she thought to herself. Suddenly, a pair of strong hands wrapped around Sydney's waist and the strong smell of cologne enveloped Sydney's senses.

"Hey there beautiful. You look lovely today." came the voice of her husband, Gage. Smiling, Sydney turned towards Gage and felt a smile tug at her lips when she found herself staring into the very eyes that her daughter had inherited hers from. Giving Sydney a quick peck on the lips, Gage released his grip and peered over her shoulder into the sink.

"Oh, I see you found breakfast." he said with a smirk on his face. Sydney looked down at the pan and tilted her head.

"That was breakfast? It looks like something the cat threw up." she said lifting one of her eyebrows. Gage gave her a hurt look.

"Aww come on. I try to make breakfast for my family and this is the thanks I get?" Sydney chuckled and gave Gage a peck on the cheek.

"Next time...leave the cooking to me." she said patting him on the shoulder and making her way to the refridgerator. As she opened the door and pulled out a carton of eggs, the sound of footsteps running down the stairs was heard and both parents turned their heads towards the entrance of the kitchen. A split second later, Mindy entered the kitchen wearing her black shirt with red polka dots and zebra stripe pants. Seeing the outfit her daughter was wearing, Sydney gasped in shock and dropped the carton of eggs.

"Mommy, how do I look?" asked Mindy showing off her unique outfit. For once, Sydney was at a loss for words. Fortunatly for her though, Gage never seemed to be at a loss and smiled as he walked over and picked up his daughter in his arms.

"Hey there princess. Don't you look pretty today." he said spinning her around and giving her a peck on the cheek. Mindy giggled and once Gage set her back down, she ran over to her mom.

"See mommy. I dressed myself today." she said modeling her outfit. Shaking her head, Sydney looked at her daughter and smiled.

"So I see. So uhh...where did you get those clothes exactly? I don't remember buying those for you." A wide smile spread across Mindy's face.

"Daddy got them for me. Aren't they lovely?" Sydney looked over at Gage, who was sitting at the table, trying to hide behind the paper.

"They're...lovely sweetheart. Remind me that I should thank daddy for it later." she said with a hint of warning in her voice. Mindy giggled and opened the refridgerator door. Pulling down the milk carton, Mindy shut the door and made her way over to the kitchen table. Taking a seat across from her father, Mindy grabbed a glass from the table and began to pour the milk. Looking up at her dad, Mindy noticed that he was looking at her and trying to mouth something. Squinting her eyes in confusion, Mindy tried her best to read her father's lips.

"Don't...let your mommy...know about....the other things...I got you...Okay?" Mindy gave a quick look over at Sydney before looking back at Gage and nodding her head.

"Okay." she whispered over to him. Gage smiled and quickly hid himself in the paper as soon as Syd turned around.

"What are you two whispering about?" she asked walking over and placing two plates of various breakfast foods in front of Gage and Mindy. Mindy looked up at her and smiled.

"We weren't whispering about anything mommy." she said innocently. Sydney rolled her eyes and filled Gage's coffee mug.

"Why don't I believe that?" she said with a smile on her face. Mindy returned the smile.

"Because I'm daddy's little angel and mommy's little devil." she said shoving a mouthful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. Gage chuckled but was quickly silenced by a single death glare from Sydney. Not noticing her parents behaviour, Mindy devoured the rest of her food and quickly wiped her mouth on her sleeve.

"Mindy Aurora Gage, where did you learn those horrible table manners? You wipe your mouth on your napkin, not the sleeve of your shirt!" said Sydney horrified at her daughter's table manners. Mindy looked up at her and smiled.

"I learned it from..." Looking over at her dad, MIndy stopped when she noticed Gage vigoriously shaking his head at her. Taking the hint, Mindy looked back at her mom and smiled.

"I learned it from Uncle Trivette." Sydney rolled her eyes and handed her daughter a napkin.

"Well, me and Uncle Trivette are going to have a little heart to heart when I see him at work." Mindy took the napkin and wiped off the rest of her mouth.  
"So who's taking me to school today?" she asked swinging her legs under the table. Sydney and Gage looked at each other before Gage smiled.

"I'll take you today sweetheart. After all, mommy needs to go and meet Auntie Alex anyway." he said standing up and taking his plate and coffee mug over to the sink. Mindy followed his lead and once her dishes were properly put where they belonged, she ran into the dining room to grab her pink Dora the Explorer backpack. Once they were alone, Sydney looked at Gage with curiosity.

"Umm, why exactly do I have to see Alex again? Obviously I didn't get the memo." Gage looked into the dining room to make sure that Mindy couldn't hear their conversation and turned his attention back to Sydney.

"I didn't want to tell you this right now but you were going to find out sooner or later." Hearing the reluctance in his voice, Sydney walked over and wrapped her arms around Gage's waist.

"Tell me what?" she asked looking into his crystal blue eyes. Gage took a deep breath and placed both of his hands on Sydney's shoulders.

"Tino "The Butcher" Rodriguz has escaped from prison." As soon as Syd heard that name, her legs felt weak and her whole body began to shake.

"Tino? The one who threatened to kill all that sent him to prison should he escape?" Gage simply nodded but there was a look of fear in his eyes. Thinking of the same thing, both Syd and Gage looked into the dining room where Mindy was waiting patiently for her daddy to take her to school. Looking at each other, Gage and Sydney knew that since _they_ were the main people who were responsible for sending Tino to prison, they would probably be the first ones he would go after.

"I told Alex that you would be coming in early so you'd be safe. Also, me and Mindy need to talk anyway." he said slowly grinning. Sydney found his grin contagious and returned the gesture.

"Alright. Just be careful." she said burying her face in his chest and rubbing his back. Gage nodded and wrapped her in a warm embrace.

"Don't worry Syd. I'm always careful." Sydney looked up at him with a smirk on her face.

"Oh really. How many times have I heard that before?" Gage chuckled before dipping down and giving Sydney a passionate kiss on the lips. Once the two parted, Gage gave Syd's arm a quick gentle grab.  
"I love you Syd."

"I love you too." Reluctantly, Gage released Syd and made his way towards the dining room where Mindy was waiting.

As Sydney watched the two disappear outside, she couldn't help but think of Tino Rodriguz. It had been about seven years since the rangers had sent him to prison for several counts of murder and drug charges and it was thanks to Sydney and Gage's undercover work that had made sure that Rodriguz was going to jail for a long time. At the trial, when Rodriguz was found guilty, he looked over at the rangers sitting in the front row and smiled. The words that he said would haunt Sydney for the rest of her life.

"When I get out, you all are dead. Including you families." At that time, Sydney was three months pregnent and the words sent an ice cold shiver down her back. Sydney was snapped out of her daze when she heard Gage start up the car. Walking over to the living room window, Sydney pulled back the curtains and watched as Gage's old orange beamer pulled out of the driveway. She smiled as she saw Mindy sitting in the front seat with a huge smile on her face. For some reason that Sydney couldn't understand, Mindy preferred riding in Gage's old beamer than Sydney's newer mustang. Shrugging, Sydney shut the curtain and went to get ready for work.

Meanwhile, Sydney wasn't the only one who had watched father and daughter pull out of the driveway. About fifty feet down the road, a red viper was watching Gage and Mindy's every move. As he watched the old beamer pass by him, he couldn't help but smile when Mindy looked directly at him. Smiling, the young girl had waved to him and he returned the gesture. He didn't care if she saw him or not. Pretty soon, she would be his and the perfect bait for the rangers who had placed him in prison. Gripping the steering wheel in a death grip, Tino shifted the viper into gear and started to follow the unsuspecting father and daughter.

'Soon rangers. Revenge will be mine.'

To be continued...

A/N: I don't own Walker Texas Ranger or anything related to it. I was just bored.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

As Gage pulled in front of Dallas Elementry, he leaned over and gave Mindy a kiss on the forehead.

"Uncle Walker or Aunt Alex will pick you up today. Angela wanted you to come over to the ranch and ride." Mindy nodded her head and opened up the car door.

"Okay daddy. See you when I get home." she said leaning in and giving Gage a quick hug.

"I love you daddy." she whispered in Gage'e ear. Gage hugged her tight.

"I love you too sweety. I love you too." Letting her go, Gage watched as Mindy got out of the car and ran over to a blond girl about nine years old. When Mindy saw Angela Walker, she waved to her older friend and ran over to her.

"Hi Angela!"

"Hey there Mindy. Did you hear the news? You're coming to my house after school so we can ride." said Angela opening the door to the elementary school and letting Mindy go in before her.

"Yeah, daddy just told me. So who's picking us up anyway?"  
"My mom. Why?" asked Angela confused.

"Cuz when your mom picks us up, we usually get to eat at McDonald's!" cried Mindy excitedly. Angela chuckled.

"I swear all you think about is food." Mindy smiled.

"I get it from my daddy." she said proudly. Suddenly, the warning bell rang and Mindy and Angela gasped.

"I'm gonna be late!" they cried at the same time. Giving rushed good-byes, Mindy and Angela went to their seperate classrooms and began their day of daily elementary education.

Meanwhile, Tino had parked his car in front of the elementary school and watched his intended target rush to make it to her class. Looking at the clock on the dashboard, which read 9:00, Tino smiled and leaned back in the driver's seat. Just three hours until his plan would be set in motion and then revenge would be all his. As for Mindy, she was completly oblivious to the danger that lurked right outside.

Three hours later, the lunch bell rang and all the kids began to flock to the cafeteria. As Mindy was walking with Angela, one of the office assistants called her aside.

"Mindy, can I see you for a minute?" Mindy looked at the assistant a moment before looking over at Angela.

"Looks like I'm in trouble." she said confused. Angela smiled.

"When are you _not _in trouble?" Mindy grinned.  
"Good point. Tell ya what, you go on ahead and save us some seats. I'll be there in a sec." Angela nodded.

"Okay but please hurry. It's mac and cheese day!" Mindy's head perked up.

"Mac and Cheese! Yes!" Turning to the assistant, Mindy smiled innocently.

"How can I help Ms. Office lady ma'am?" she asked looking at her curiously. The office assistant smiled.

"I just wanted to know that your uncle is here to pick up for a doctor appointment." Mindy tilted her head in confusion.  
"My uncle? Which one?" If it were Uncle Walker or Uncle Trivette, it couldn't be good if _they _had to pick her up in the middle of the day. The assistant shook her head.

" Why,it's your Uncle Tino dearie."  
"Uncle Tino?" Mindy never knew she had an uncle named Tino. The assistant nodded.

"Uh-huh. He's waiting in the office for you. When you have all of your stuff ready, come to the office okay?" Mindy slowly nodded.

"Umm...okay." Smiling, the office assistant turned around and made her way back to the office leaving Mindy to go retrieve her coat and bookbag. As Mindy made her way back to her classroom, she couldn't help but wonder who in the world Uncle Tino was. The name didn't sound familiar and she couldn't even put a face to the name. Walking into the classroom, Mindy walked over to the coat closet and grabbed her Dora bookbag and her pink coat. Putting her coat on, Mindy held the bookbag in her arms and headed back to the office.

As soon as she entered the office, Mindy noticed a tall man with long black hair and piercing blue eyes standing there with a smile on his face.

"Hey there Mindy. Ready to go to the doctor?" he asked kneeling down to her level. Mindy slowly nodded.  
"I guess so." Smiling, Tino patted her on the shoulder and stood up to face the office assistant who had some papers that he needed to sign. Picking up the pen, Tino signed his name on the paper and handed it back to the assistant. Looking at the signiture, the assistant smiled.

"Thank you . She's all yours." Tino smiled.

"Thank you." Turning his attention back to Mindy, he smiled.

"Alright, let's get a move on." he said offering Mindy his hand. Mindy eyed it wearily for a moment before she slowly smiled and accepted the hand. Leading her out of the office, Tino grinned wickedly knowing that now, he had what he needed to take his revenge on those who put him behind bars.

Meanwhile, back at ranger headquarters, Walker, Trivette, Gage, and Sydney were all gathered around a conference table reviewing Tino's case.  
"Alright, we know that he had murdered at least 11 people before Gage and Sydney managed to catch him. After that, he was sentenced to death and was on death row when he managed to escape." Walker said reading the report to everyone in the room. Gage nodded his head in agreement.

"That pretty much covers it. Except for the fact he vowed to take his revenge upon all those who put him behind bars." Sydney silently nodded beside him. Walker looked over at them with concern in his eyes.

"Which means that you two and maybe even Mindy are in danger." he said stating the obvious. Gage nodded.

"I know. That's why I took the liberty of dropping Mindy off personally." Walker nodded.

"That was good thinking. And Alex is picking the girls up in about 20 minutes to take them to the ranch."

"Do we even have any idea where Tino might be hiding?" asked Trivette. Walker shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. Which means all of us had better be careful. We don't know who he might go for first." All the rangers nodded their head in agreement. Suddenly, Sydney's cellphone went off. Jumping, she looked down at it and read her caller id. Noticing it was Alex, she answered it right away.

"Hey there Alex. What's up?" she asked brushing some bangs out of her face.

"I thought you said that Mindy was coming with me and Angela tonight." Alex said sounding a little confused.  
"She was. Why?"

"Well, I decided to pick the two up early so they could help me pick out some food for dinner tonight and the office said that Mindy left with her uncle for a doctor's appointment." Sydney's face paled.  
"Uncle?"

"Yeah." Sydney shook her head.

"Alex, Mindy didn't have a doctor's appointment today." Hearing the fear in Sydney's voice, all eyes turned on her.

"Hold on a sec. Let me see who picked her up exactly." There came the sound of muffled voices as if Alex had covered the mouthpiece and Sydney felt herself starting to shake. A second later, Alex came back on and she sounded both scared and angry.

"It says here that Mindy was picked up by...Tino Cook." Sydney's eyes widened in shock and she dropped the cellphone. Acting instantly, Gage grabbed his wife by her shoulders and set her down in one of the chairs. Bending down, Gage picked up the phone and heard Alex saying,

"Syd are you there? Syd?!"  
"Uh Syd's not in a talking mood right now Alex. What exactly did you tell her?" Alex was silent a moment before she softly replied,

"I think that Tino Rodriguz has your daughter."

To be continued...


End file.
